In a startling revelation, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has taken legal action against President Bola Tinubu, accusing him of allowing former governors, now serving as ministers, to collect both life pensions and ‘retirement benefits’ from their respective states. This controversial lawsuit has sent shockwaves through the nation.
According to SERAP Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, the implicated ministers include Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Bello Matawalle (Zamfara), and Adegboyega Oyetola (Osun), among others. The lawsuit, filed as number FHC/L/CS/1855/2023 last Friday at the Federal High Court in Lagos, seeks an “order of mandamus” compelling President Tinubu to halt these payments, citing the dire economic conditions facing the nation.
SERAP contends that allowing these former governors to collect pensions while serving as ministers is not only arbitrary but also an abuse of presidential appointment powers. This practice, they argue, is particularly unjust when compared to the struggles of pensioners who receive irregular payments, while ex-governors-turned-ministers enjoy double emoluments.
SERAP insists that President Tinubu has a constitutional and international obligation to end these ‘retirement benefits’ for ministers who were once state governors. However, a hearing date for the lawsuit has not yet been scheduled.
This issue raises a broader question: Should former governors continue to receive pensions, especially when they assume roles as ministers? It’s a topic that has long fueled public debate, with some questioning the fairness of this practice in a country where economic disparities persist, and pensioners often struggle to make ends meet. Nigerians have endured this issue in silence for too long, and this legal action might just be the spark that ignites a national conversation about wealth distribution and government accountability. So, dear reader, what’s your take on whether former governors should receive pensions while holding ministerial positions?
